Children

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what discussions on age discrimination against children and young people in the provision of goods, facilities and services Ministers and officials in the Government Equalities Office have held with  (a) non-governmental organisations and  (b) UK Children's Commissioners since 2005.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. Prior to this date the Discrimination Law Review Project was the responsibility of the women and equality unit in CLG. Since 2005, Ministers for women and equality have met the Children's Rights Alliance for England on two occasions; one of those meetings was attended by a group of young people. In late 2006, the women and equality unit hosted a roundtable discussion on children and young people, which was attended by non-governmental organisations and the children's commissioners for England and Scotland. During the consultation period for the Equality Bill, the Children's Rights Alliance for England organised a consultation event on behalf of the women and equality unit. Officials also met the Children's Rights Alliance for England in August 2007 and the children's commissioners for England and Scotland in March 2008.

Commission for Racial Equality: Leave

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many days leave the Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality took in  (a) 2005,  (b) 2006 and  (c) 2007.

Barbara Follett: The chair of the Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) was Trevor Phillips from February 2003 until November 2006 and Kay Hampton from November 2006 until the CRE became part of the Equality and Human Rights Commission on 1 October 2007. The Equality and Human Rights Commission has not inherited records from the CRE about leave taken but it is clear that the chair was entitled to 24 days annual leave, in addition to public holidays and two and half privilege days per annum.

Departmental Consultants

John McDonnell: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many contracts the offices now comprising the Government's Equalities Office awarded to consultants in 2006-07; how many contracts went out to tender in 2006-07; what the value of each was; and which contracts were not put out to tender.

Barbara Follett: holding answer 17 July 2008
	The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. It has taken over responsibility for equality issues from a number of different teams and Departments, including: the Disability Rights Commission Sponsorship team, based in 2006-07 in the Department for Work and Pensions; the Commission for Racial Equality Sponsorship Team, based in the Home Office in the first part of 2006-07, then transferred to Communities and Local Government; the Women and Equality Unit, based in the Department for Trade and Industry until May 2006, then in Communities and Local Government; and lawyers from DTI and HO, who transferred to CLG in May 2006. To answer the question accurately would therefore require investigation of records that are widely dispersed in a number of different Departments and locations and this could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Postal Services

Mark Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality what steps the Government Equalities Office has taken to monitor the cost of its mail services since its establishment.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) was established on 12 October 2007. Since then it has been based in Communities and Local Government (CLG) buildings and CLG have been providing mail services for GEO as part of wider rental agreements. CLG monitor these mail services and are concerned to minimise costs. For example, all post is sent second class.

Departmental Responsibilities

Francis Maude: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many reviews of regulation the Government Equalities Office has conducted or commenced since its establishment, and in which areas.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office has carried out a far reaching review of the entire discrimination legislative framework in the Discrimination Law Review. We announced the headline results last month, and published a comprehensive response on 21 July (The Equality Bill: Government Response to the consultation). The Equality Bill to streamline and strengthen discrimination law, decluttering the current complexity of legislation and guidance.

Departmental Written Questions

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many and what proportion of Parliamentary questions for answer on a named day to the Government Equalities Office received a  (a) holding and  (b) substantive answer on the named day in each year since 2001.

Barbara Follett: The Government Equalities Office (GEO) was established in October 2007. However, it has been answering parliamentary written questions on issues relating to Women and Equality since July 2007. A total of 30 named day questions have been answered in that time, of which six (20 per cent.) received a substantive reply by the named day and 24 (80 per cent.) received a holding reply on the named day.

Single Equality Bill (Draft)

David Drew: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality whether the draft Single Equality Bill will be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny in the House.

Barbara Follett: No. The Government are committed to introducing an Equality Bill during this Parliament. The further policy consideration that our comprehensive consultation provoked, and our ongoing engagement with stakeholders, means that we have no plans to publish the Bill in draft.

National Insurance Contributions

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was raised in national insurance contributions in  (a) the UK,  (b) England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland and  (e ) Northern Ireland in each of the last 11 years.

Kitty Ussher: Information on UK receipts of national insurance contributions is published in National Statistics Table 1.2 on the HMRC website.
	Estimates of national insurance contribution receipts for Scotland are prepared by the Scottish Government.
	No other estimates are available of national insurance contribution receipts in the separate countries of the UK.

National Minimum Wage: Agriculture

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his most recent estimate is of the level of compliance with national minimum wage requirements in the agricultural sector; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
	The Statistics Digest for 2008 provides data on farm labour and wages. This includes data on workers paid below the statutory agricultural minimum wage rate. The table below shows the proportion of people according to the grades set out in the Agricultural Wages Order being paid below the set minima during the last full AWO year (October 2006-September 2006).
	
		
			  Grade  AWB minimum (£)  Below minimum (percentage) 
			 Grade 1 5.35 6 
			 Grade 2 5.74 18 
			 Grade 3 6.31 19 
			 Grade 4 6.77 8 
			 Grade 5 7.18 10 
			 Grade 6 7.75 13 
		
	
	These data are collected from DEFRA's Earnings and Hours Survey and are based on a sample of 939 workers and only include people who are 20 years or over.
	DEFRA is responsible for enforcing the Agricultural Wages Order and will investigate complaints about underpayment of the minimum wages rate.

Tax Incentives: Energy

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to use tax incentives to encourage energy conservation.

Kitty Ussher: Government uses a range of policy instruments to encourage energy efficiency, including spending, regulatory and voluntary approaches.
	The Government keeps all taxes and reliefs under review.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many individual support orders were issued in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007; and what proportion of all anti-social behaviour orders issued to 10 to 17 year olds individual support orders represented in each year;
	(2)  how many intervention orders have been made since 1 October 2006; and what proportion this represents of all anti-social behaviour orders issued in this period.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 10 September 2008
	The available information on the number of Individual Support Orders (ISOs) issued is shown in the following table. ISO Data for 2007 will be available in 2009.
	Intervention Orders became available in October 2006. The Office for Criminal Justice Reform started collecting data on the number of Intervention Orders from 1 October 2007. Data for 2007 are due to be published in early 2009.
	
		
			  Number of Individual Support Orders( 1)  given at the magistrates court, in addition to an antisocial behaviour order (ASBO), as reported to the Office for Criminal Justice Reform by the Court Service, from 1 January to 31 December 2006, England and Wales 
			   All persons aged 10-17 
			  Period  Individual Support Orders  ASBOs issued on application  ASBOs issued on conviction  Percentage of ASBOs issued on application with an ISO attached 
			 Total 2006 75 423 631 18 
			 (1) Available at magistrates courts only for juveniles (aged 10-17) with ASBOs issued on application. Commencement date 1 May 2004.  Notes: 1. Previously issued data have been revised. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Prepared by OCJR-Evidence & Analysis Unit.

Antisocial Behaviour: Blackpool

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken to reduce anti-social behaviour in Blackpool since 2005.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 10 September 2008
	 We are strongly committed to tackling, not tolerating, antisocial behaviour. That is why local crime and disorder reduction partnerships were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. These enable the police, local authorities and other agencies representing the local community to work together to identify the crime and disorder problems in their area and take action to tackle them.
	Blackpool was confirmed as one of 40 areas in January 2007 to lead the Respect Area programme by the strong track record in tackling antisocial behaviour and a willingness and capacity to do more.
	As a Respect Area, Blackpool signed up to:
	Family Intervention Projects
	More Parenting Classes for parents struggling with troublesome children.
	Face the People sessions where the police, local authorities and others can be accountable to their local public.
	Keep up the relentless action to tackle anti-social behaviour by using the full range of tools and powers available.
	Using the Respect Housing Standard to prevent and deal with any problems in social housing.
	The work of the Respect Task Force is now being undertaken by the Youth Taskforce—established at the Department for Children, Schools and Families to focus on delivering positive outcomes for young.
	Blackpool utilises the full range of the tools and powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour as set out in their ASB strategy.

Community Safety Accreditation Schemes

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers  (a) private companies and  (b) other organisations participating in community safety accreditation schemes have in each police force area.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 September 2008
	It is for the Chief Constable of a police force to decide which of the powers available under the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme are given to individuals working for private companies and other organisations. The Home Office has carried out an audit of the powers accredited under CSAS in each police force which can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/communitypolicing/citizenfocusedpolicing/communitysafety-accredit-scheme/.

Community Safety Accreditation Schemes

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which  (a) private companies and  (b) other organisations are in the community safety accreditation scheme in each police force area; and how many people have been accredited by each such scheme to date.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 September 2008
	The Home Office does not collect data on which private companies and other organisations are in the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS). However, a Home Office audit on the CSAS found there to be 1,406 people accredited under the scheme across England and Wales.
	The audit shows, among other things, the number of accredited people per force and can be found on the Home Office website at:
	http://police.homeoffice.gov.uk/communitypolicing/citizenfocusedpolicing/communitysafetyaccredit-scheme/.

Criminal Records: International Cooperation

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals are under discussion at EU level to enable access to the criminal records of one EU member state by the authorities of another.

Jacqui Smith: We welcome EU wide initiatives to exchange criminal record information for criminal investigation and vetting purposes.
	The European Union is currently discussing a proposal for a Council decision on the establishment of the European Criminal Record Information System (ECRIS). The ECRIS proposal is designed to provide a standardised format for the electronic exchange of information extracted from criminal records, in particular information on the offence for which a person has been convicted and the sentence passed by the court. When adopted the ECRIS proposal will allow swifter exchange of criminal conviction information between member states than is the case now.
	The ECRIS proposal will allow the application of Article 11 of Framework Decision 2008/xx/JHA on the organisation and content of the exchange of information extracted from criminal records between member states. The EU has agreed a general approach on this proposal and we expect it to be adopted by the end of 2008 with an implementation deadline of three years from the date of agreement. When the Framework Decision comes into force it will be mandatory to notify other EU countries of convictions of its nationals and it will also be mandatory to respond to requests for the criminal records of EU national being proceeded against in another member state.
	The United Kingdom already can, in the context of criminal proceedings in the UK, request the criminal record of an EU National using Council Decision 2005/876/JHA of 21 November 2005. While the Council Decision is not mandatory a number of EU member states, including the UK, Germany and Poland are already using the Council Decision to obtain criminal record information from other member states.

Departmental Data Protection

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether personal data for which her Department is responsible is  (a) stored and  (b) processed overseas; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Some personal data provided by individuals to the Criminal Records Bureau and to UK Visas is temporarily stored for processing purposes
	overseas.
	The CRB data processed overseas is only stored for the duration of time taken to input it, determine that quality criteria are met and transfer it back to the United Kingdom. Thereafter, the data is destroyed. The overseas site in India is ISO27001 certified and is subject to CRB audit and accreditation reviews.
	The processing of visa applicant data overseas is carried out either by FCO staff in diplomatic or consular premises or, in certain countries, by commercial partners. In these countries, commercial partners are only responsible for the basic collection of visa application data, under the supervision of UKvisas staff.
	In all circumstances the Home Office seeks to handle personal data in a way that complies with our obligations under UK law.

Departmental Databases

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether  (a) companies based in the United States and  (b) UK subsidiaries of US companies have been contracted by her Department and its agencies to provide services involving the use, storage, processing or analysis of databases of personal information held by the Government on UK citizens in the last five years.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office including its agencies has engaged UK subsidiaries of US registered service providers to manage aspects of storage, processing or analysis of personal information.
	The Data Protection Act 1998 includes provisions to ensure that personal data benefits from adequate protection when it is transferred outside the European Economic Area by UK data controllers. Contracts are based on UK contract law with the applicable statutory safeguards.

Departmental ICT

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of her Department's personal digital assistants were  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years; and what the value of those items was.

Liam Byrne: Since 2005, Home Office IT Shared Services have enabled access to the Home Office IT infrastructure via the use of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) for personnel in Home Office HQ and UKBA.
	Numbers reported lost and stolen are given in the following table.
	The devices are provided by a third party supplier, to whom the Department pays a service charge. Hence, the value of any losses would be borne by the supplier.
	The devices are security protected. Attempted use by unauthorised persons results in the device being locked or the data being completely erased after three failed password attempts.
	We do not have comprehensive central records for any devices issued prior to 2005.
	
		
			   Lost  Stolen  Value (£) 
			 2005 0 0 0 
			 2006 6 1 (1)— 
			 2007 10 2 (1)— 
			 2008 8 3 (1)— 
			 (1 )Cost borne by third party.

Entry Clearances: Iraq

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the percentage refusal rate was for UK visas applied for by Iraqi citizens  (a) at the British Embassy in Jordan and  (b) overall in the latest period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 September 2008
	The refusal rate for visa applications submitted by Iraqi nationals in the FY 2007-08 at the British embassy in Amman and globally was 51 per cent. and 43 per cent. respectively.
	Please note that these figures have not been previously published and should therefore be treated as provisional.

Internet: Security

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her Department's budget for cyber-security measures is.

Liam Byrne: The Home Office take cyber-security very seriously. They are an integral part of every Home Office IT system but are not costed separately, hence it is not feasible to give a total budget figure.

Members: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will reply to the hon. Member for Walsall, North's letter of 8 July 2008 on a constituent, reference M12920/8; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 September 2008
	I have asked for further details on the case to be obtained by visa staff in New Delhi, and will have a reply to your letter with you by 30 September. I apologise for the delay.

Passports: China

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will introduce measures to ensure that all passport details of unaccompanied children travelling on flights from China and Vietnam are sent to the Immigration Office of the UK airport prior to the aircraft's arrival; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 28 January 2008
	The majority of passengers travelling on flights from China and Vietnam to the United Kingdom are likely to be visa nationals. Biometrics are taken from all visa nationals over the age of five as part of the entry clearance process. The passport details and biometric information is available to immigration staff working at ports of entry.
	In addition to this UKBA has a network airline liaison officers (ALOs) based in key source and transit locations which are targeted by those who may seek to abuse the UK's immigration controls. ALOs provide a comprehensive programme of formal training for carriers in UK passport and visa requirements and forgery awareness. This training incorporates a session about the smuggling and trafficking of children and adults, and the means of identifying vulnerable children and their traffickers by their demeanour and the documents they may present.
	Finally, the e-Borders Programme will check and screen against watchlists 60 per cent. of all passenger and crew movements, including children, in and out of the UK by December 2009, 95 per cent. by December 2010 and 100 per cent. by 2014.

Police: Greater London

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much on average it costs to employ a police constable in the London borough of  (a) Newham,  (b) Hackney and  (c) Tower Hamlets annually.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 September 2008
	Average pay and pay related cost of employing a full-time police officer (of rank sergeant or below) are calculated based on the 2006-07 Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) at regional level. This information is not available at police force area level.
	It has been estimated that the average pay and pay related cost of employing a full-time police officer in 2006-07 was approximately £45,830 in England and Wales.
	The cost of training and non-pay related costs such as premises, supplies and transport are not included in this estimate.

Police: Manpower

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in each police force in each of the last 10 years; and how many police officers there were per 1,000 population in each police force area in each year.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 September 2008
	The information requested are published in the annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin series "Police Service Strength, England and Wales", copies of which are available online and in the Library of the House.
	The latest bulletin contains data correct as at 31 March 2008, and can be downloaded from:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs08/hosb0808.pdf
	Table 4 shows police officer strength by force and the number of police officers per 100,000 population.

Police: Public Participation

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department to what extent she plans to implement the recommendations contained in the report by Louise Casey, Engaging Communities in Fighting Crime.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 September 2008
	Following the Casey review, the Home Secretary announced that we will immediately take forward Community Champions, and the Policing Green Paper "From the Neighbourhood to the National: Policing Our Communities Together" sets out our response in more detail. This includes the police service commitment to implement crime maps for every area and the new standard for the police service—The Policing Pledge—by the end of the year. The Government have appointed Louise Casey to a new role of Neighbourhood Crime and Justice Adviser based in the Home Office to help implement her proposals.

Revenue and Customs: Manpower

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many HM Revenue and Customs staff were based at each  (a) port of entry and  (b) airport as at 31 December 2007.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 September 2008
	 As at 31 December 2007, HM Revenue and Customs had approximately 4,500 frontline operational staff deployed at entry points across the UK. Officers are deployed to tackle smuggling at the frontier on an intelligence-led basis where risk is greatest.
	HM Revenue and Customs do not disclose the numbers of staff deployed to specific locations, as to do so could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent HM Revenue and Customs controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of crime.

Surveillance: Local Authorities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will make it her policy to require local authorities to publish their inspection reports from the Office of the Surveillance.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 15 September 2008
	We have no plans to do so. The Office of the Surveillance Commissioners is independent of Government. The disclosure of inspection reports, including those relating to local authorities, is a matter for the Chief Surveillance Commissioner.

Terrorism: Asylum

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been denied asylum on the grounds of participation in terrorism since the announcement of the then Prime Minister's 12 point plan in August 2005.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 September 2008
	 UK Border Agency achieves this by excluding those who have participated in terrorism from asylum under article 1F of the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. The statistics relating to exclusion from the 1951 Convention under article 1F do not differentiate between those who are refused asylum on grounds of participation in terrorism or for other grounds which are covered within article 1F. It is therefore not possible to give a precise figure in answer to the hon. Gentleman's question, except at disproportionate cost.

Terrorism: British Nationality

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been stripped of UK citizenship under the provisions of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2005 as outlined in the 12 point plant announced by the then Prime Minister in August 2005.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 September 2008
	 Orders depriving individuals of their British citizenship have been issued in two cases under section 40 of the British Nationality Act 1981, since its amendment by section 56 of the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006.

Terrorism: Entry Clearances

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been  (a) deported and  (b) excluded from the UK on the grounds of fomenting extremism under the 12 point plan announced by the then Prime Minister in August 2005, broken down by quarter.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 17 September 2008
	 We have taken the term "fomenting extremism" as equating to Unacceptable Behaviour under the policy announced by my right hon. Friend, the then Home Secretary on 24 August 2005. On this basis, the figures are:
	
		
			   Number 
			  (a) Deportations  
			  2006  
			 4th quarter 1 
			   
			  (b) Exclusions  
			  2005  
			 3rd quarter (1)4 
			 4th quarter 18 
			   
			  2006  
			 1st quarter 8 
			 2nd quarter 10 
			 3rd quarter 3 
			 4th quarter 11 
			   
			  2007  
			 1st quarter 0 
			 2nd quarter 7 
			 3rd quarter 5 
			 4th quarter 9 
			   
			  2008  
			 1st quarter 4 
			 2nd quarter 0 
			 3rd quarter (2)0 
			   
			 Total 79 
			 (1) From August 2005 (2 )To 16 September 2008

Terrorism: Extradition

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been extradited for terrorism-related offences since the announcement of the then Prime Minister's 12 point plan in August 2005, broken down by quarter; and how many requests for extradition for terrorism-related offences  (a) are outstanding and  (b) have been made since August 2005.

Meg Hillier: holding answer 17 September 2008
	As a matter of policy and practice, the Home Office will neither confirm nor deny the existence of any extradition request ahead of a person's arrest.
	Since August 2005, 13 people have been extradited by the UK for terrorism-related offences; five people have been discharged by UK courts; five cases are ongoing and one case was withdrawn by the Requesting State. The following table gives a breakdown of these figures.
	The UK has not issued any extradition requests for people suspected of terrorist-related offences in this time.
	
		
			  Extradition requests for terrorist-related offences since August 2005 
			   Number  Arrested  Status as at 17 September 2008 
			 2005 1 Pre-August 2005 Withdrawn by Requesting State 
			  1 3(rd) quarter Ongoing 
			  2 Pre-August 2005 Extradited 
			 
			 2006 1 Pre-August 2005 Discharged 
			  3 Pre-August 2005 Extradited 
			  1 1(st) quarter Discharged 
			  1 2(nd) quarter Extradited 
			  1 3(rd) quarter Extradited 
			  1 3(rd) quarter Ongoing 
			 
			 2007 1 Pre-August 2005 Extradited 
			  3 2(nd) quarter Extradited 
			  1 2(nd) quarter Ongoing 
			  2 4(th) quarter Ongoing 
			  2 4(th) quarter Discharged 
			 
			 2008 1 Pre-August 2005 Extradited 
			  1 1(st) quarter Extradited 
			  Note: There are currently four other cases before the courts which were received before August 2005.

UK Border Agency: Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will instruct the UK Borders Agency to provide a substantive response to the right hon. Member for Walsall, North's letter of 11 August concerning a constituent, ref. B27195/8.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 17 September 2008
	The UK Border Agency wrote to my hon. Friend on 12 September.

UK Border Agency: Drug Seizures

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what drug seizures have been made by or with the operational involvement of the revenue cutters operating in the Maritime Section of the UK Border Agency and its predecessors in each year since 1996-97; and what the  (a) date of seizure,  (b) type of drug seized,  (c) quantity of drug seized,  (d) location of operation,  (e) vessel intercepted and  (f) designation of cutter was in each case.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 10 September 2008
	 UK Border Agency cutters are deployed on an intelligence led basis to areas of highest identified risk. It is longstanding HM Revenue and Customs policy not to divulge details of operational deployments, locations and seizures as these could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent relevant controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention of crime.

Children: Maintenance

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many individuals' postal addresses have been disclosed by the Child Support Agency to their former partners; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 30 June 2008
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many individuals' postal addresses have been disclosed by the Child Support Agency to their former partners; and if he will make a statement.
	It is not the practice of the Child Support Agency to provide details of an individual's postal address to former partners. However, on occasion errors do occur and the Agency investigates each incident thoroughly and considers financial redress where appropriate. The Agency does not centrally collate records of these investigations.
	The Agency's records do show however that since January 2007, of the 1.3 million open child maintenance cases, the Information Commissioner's Office have informed the Agency of just three complaints from our clients alleging unlawful disclosure. These complaints were investigated by the Child Support Agency and, where appropriate, consolatory payments were made by way of an apology for the inconvenience, worry and distress caused.
	It is worth noting that there are also occasions where, with the consent of both parents, it may be in the interests of the child for the Agency to pass on contact details to either parent. The Agency is currently looking at how it can facilitate this transfer of information within the framework of the Data Protection Act.
	The Agency takes the protection of personal information very seriously. If you have any concerns relating to a particular case, I would be happy to investigate and respond accordingly.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Children: Maintenance

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what steps are taken when child support payments are wrongly awarded because of faults in computer systems; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many child support overpayments there have been due to computer errors in  (a) England,  (b) Wakefield District and  (c) Hemsworth constituency;
	(3)  what account is taken of the financial situation of the families involved when Child Support Agency overpayments are collected.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Stephen Geraghty, 29 September 2008:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	; and
	; and
	What account is taken of the financial situation of the families involved when Child Support Agency overpayments are collected.
	Section 41B of the Child Support Act 1991 enables the Secretary of State to recover payments of child maintenance from the parent with care, where those payments are not validly made due to a computer fault or any other error, or where the non-resident parent has overpaid. In these circumstances, the Secretary of State will provide the parent with care with a written demand for repayment. In some cases, it may be possible to recover overpayments by temporarily reducing any ongoing maintenance due to the parent with care.
	In the event that a parent with care is required to repay any overpaid child maintenance in accordance with Section 41B, the Secretary of State must have first considered the impact on any child affected by the decision. The Secretary of State may decide not to pursue recovery in the event that taking such action would have a seriously adverse impact on any child within the parent with care's household.
	Information on the number of child support overpayments made due to computer error is not available.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Commercial and Estates Directorate

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library a copy of  (a) organisational charts for the structure of the Commercial and Estates Directorate below divisional level,  (b) organisational charts showing the relationships between the Commercial and Estate Directorate and the Provision Delivery and Performance Division (WWEG Delivery Directorate) and  (c) a sample role description of a (i) Field Financial Appraisal and Monitoring (FAM) team member, (ii) Third Party Provision Manager, as referred to in chapter 2, paragraph 37 of DWP Provider Guidance and (iii) Contract Manager, as referred to in q.206, Flexible New Deal Question and Answer Log.

Anne McGuire: An organisational chart for the structure of the Commercial Directorate has been placed in the Library.
	The relationships between the Commercial Directorate and the Provision Delivery and Performance Division (Welfare, Work and Equality Group Delivery Directorate) cannot be explained through an organisational chart. However, the Provision Delivery and Performance Division are the primary link to the Commercial Directorate for the sourcing and management of commercially delivered employment programmes.
	The Provision Delivery and Performance Division has responsibility for:
	development of the Work, Welfare and Equality Group's commissioning and market strategy for employment programmes;
	financial allocations for third party programme provision;
	monitoring contracted employment programmes;
	Department for Work and Pensions' input to the European Social Fund programme; and
	delivering ongoing product support to existing programmes.
	Within the Commercial Directorate, the relationship with the Work, Welfare and Equality Group is led by the Commercial Employment Provision team. This has the role of:
	providing commercial advice on the development of new welfare to work initiatives that involve commercial delivery;
	developing and leading sourcing approaches for individual programmes;
	managing performance by suppliers throughout the life of contracts; and
	managing the development of the supplier market in line with the Commissioning Strategy, published in February 2008 (Cmnd 7330).
	Sample role descriptions for the following posts have been placed in the Library:
	Field Financial Appraisal and Monitoring (FAM) team member;
	Third Party Provision Manager; and
	Contract Manager.

Departmental Buildings

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his Department's policy is on improving the energy efficiency of the buildings which it  (a) rents and  (b) owns; what changes there have been in the energy efficiency of such buildings in the last (i) five and (ii) 10 years; and whether his Department has adopted targets on energy efficiency improvements in the buildings it occupies over the next (A) five and (B) 10 years;
	(2)  what account his Department takes of the level of energy efficiency of buildings before entering into agreements to  (a) rent and  (b) purchase those buildings.

Anne McGuire: The Department is working to meet the energy efficiency targets within the targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) and that is to increase energy efficiency per m(2) by 15 per cent. by 2010 relative to 1999-2000 levels. In the Department's case this would equate to 260.1 kWh/m(2).
	The following table provides the performance of the Department against the energy efficiency target:
	
		
			   kWh/m( 2) 
			 1998-99 300 
			 1999-2000 306 
			 2000-01 274 
			 2001-02 289 
			 2002-03 297 
			 2003-04 286 
			 2004-05 303 
			 2005-06 288 
			 2006-07 322 
			 2007-08 312 
			  Note: The figures from 1998 to 2002 are compiled from data for the former Department for Social Security and Employment Service. Figures for 2007-08 are subject to confirmation. 
		
	
	The Department acquires fully serviced accommodation from Land Securities Trillium (LST) under PFI arrangements. Any new space the Department requires is identified, acquired, managed and operated by LST to meet the Department's needs. The improved energy efficiency of our total operations is one of a range of issues that is considered in the acquisition of new space. Ease of access for customers and the requirements for highly efficient office space (both existing and new build) are among other criteria.
	Energy efficiency is incentivised within the PFI arrangement and is incorporated also within the Department's Estate Strategy. Specific measures to improve efficiency are detailed within the Department's three year Sustainable Development Action Plan, which is incorporated within its Sustainable Development Annual Report for 2007.
	While the Department's increased use of IT and extended opening hours, to provide a better service to customers and improved facilities for staff, has impacted on our energy efficiency, a planned programme of work is in place to meet the carbon from offices and energy efficiency targets. The Department has secured investment for 41,000 'spend-to-save' measures through its PFI arrangements and is installing Smart Meters in its largest 700 buildings to improve reporting and energy management. These measures, together with an intensive energy efficiency and communications campaign, have resulted in absolute carbon emission reductions of 10.8 per cent. in 2007-08. Their ongoing implementation, together with improved governance and a review of site plant and equipment, mean that the Department predicts a further reduction of 15 per cent. by 2011, meeting the Sustainable Operations target.

Housing Benefit

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much of the money allocated to each local authority to pay discretionary housing payments was unspent in each year since it was introduced; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how the amount allocated to each local authority for the payment of discretionary housing payments is calculated; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how much his Department allocated to each local authority for the payment of discretionary housing payments in each year since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The discretionary housing payment fund is allocated to each local authority based on the mid-point between the amount they were allocated and the amount they actually spent in the previous full financial year (e.g. the 2008-09 allocation was calculated using 2006-07 data, as this was the most recent full financial year data that was available at the time of calculation).
	Any remaining funding is then distributed across local authorities based on their annually managed expenditure, and their average rent restrictions. 50 per cent. of the remaining funding is allocated based on each local authority's proportion of overall annually managed expenditure, and the remaining 50 per cent. of the funding is allocated based on each local authority's average rent restrictions.
	The available information on the amount of money allocated to each local authority for discretionary housing payments and the amount of such payments unspent for each local authority has been placed in the Library.

Incapacity Benefit: Wakefield

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children in  (a) Hemsworth constituency and  (b) Wakefield district are dependent on parents or guardians whose main income source is incapacity benefit.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of children aged 0-15 dependent on a parent/guardian claiming one or more of incapacity benefit or severe disablement:  April 2007 
			   Number of children 
			 Hemsworth parliamentary constituency 1,365 
			 Wakefield local authority 4,025 
			  Notes: 1. Data represents a snapshot in time of claimants on the computer system, and therefore excludes a very small number of cases that are held clerically.  2. The Department does not hold complete information on child dependents on its benefit computer systems and, therefore, children have been merged onto incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claims from child benefit records with permission from HMRC.  Source:  DWP Information Directorate

Low Incomes: Children

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the median income was in each region in the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what estimate he has made of the number of children who lived in households with incomes of less than  (a) 60 per cent. and  (b) 40 per cent. of the regional median, in each region, during that period.

Stephen Timms: Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain is available in "Households Below Average Income 1994/95 to 2006/07". This annual report, which is a National Statistics publication, includes the numbers and proportions of individuals, children, working age adults and pensioners with incomes below 50 per cent. 60 per cent. and 70 per cent. of the national median income, and the proportions in persistent poverty.
	Information covering 40 per cent. of median income is not presented in the Households Below Average Income series as it is an unreliable measure of poverty. Households stating the lowest incomes to the Family Resources Survey may not actually have the lowest living standards. Many people who report very low incomes appear to have high spending. Hence any statistics on numbers in this group may be misleading.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  Median income in each region in the UK for the  years 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			  £ per week equivalised 
			  Region  Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			 North East 338 291 
			 North West 350 301 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 349 299 
			 East Midlands 356 310 
			 West Midlands 343 293 
			 East of England 401 340 
			 London 421 335 
			 South East 435 361 
			 South West 378 323 
			 Scotland 371 323 
			 Wales 346 304 
			 Northern Ireland 342 302 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of children below 60 per cent .  of each regional median income in the UK for the years 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			  Million 
			  Region  Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			 North East 0.1 0.1 
			 North West 0.3 0.4 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 0.2 0.3 
			 East Midlands 0.2 0.2 
			 West Midlands 0.2 0.3 
			 East of England 0.2 0.3 
			 London 0.5 0.7 
			 South East 0.4 0.6 
			 South West 0.2 0.3 
			 Scotland 0.2 0.3 
			 Wales 0.1 0.2 
			 Northern Ireland 0.1 0.1 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of children below 40 per cent. of each regional median income in the UK for the years 2004-05 to 2006-07 
			  Million 
			  Region  Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			 North East — — 
			 North West 0.1 0.1 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber — 0.1 
			 East Midlands — 0.1 
			 West Midlands 0.1 0.1 
			 East of England 0.1 0.1 
			 London 0.2 0.3 
			 South East 0.1 0.2 
			 South West 0.1 0.1 
			 Scotland — 0.1 
			 Wales — 0.1 
			 Northern Ireland — — 
			 Notes: 1. These statistics are based on Households Below Average Income data. 2. Small differences should be treated with caution as these will be affected by sampling error and variability in non-response. 3. '—' denotes less than 50,000 children. 4. The reference period for Households Below Average Income figures is single financial years. Three sample years have been combined as regional single year estimates are subject to volatility. 5. The income measures used to derive the estimates shown employ the same methodology as the Department for Work and Pensions publication 'Households Below Average Income' series, which uses disposable household income, adjusted (or "equivalised") for household size and composition, as an income measure as a proxy for standard of living. 6. The figures are based on OECD equivalisation factors. 7. Regional median incomes are presented in 2006-07 prices.  8. Figures have been presented on both a Before Housing Cost and After Housing Cost basis. For Before Housing Cost, housing costs (such as rent, water rates, mortgage interest payments, structural insurance payments and ground rent and service charges) are not deducted from income, while for After Housing Cost they are. 9. This response includes a lower income threshold of 40 per cent. of the contemporary median income. The data for households with an income lower than 50 per cent. of median is not considered to be accurate as an indicator of living standards. Many of these households whilst having very low incomes would not be considered poor, but do genuinely have few sources of income in the short-run. These figures are not National Statistics and caution must be applied because those people stating the lowest incomes in the Family Resources Survey may not actually have the lowest living standards. 10. Regional median incomes have been rounded to the nearest pound sterling, while numbers of children in low-income households have been rounded to the nearest 100,000 children.

New Deal for Disabled People

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have been enrolled on the New Deal for Disabled People since its inception  (a) nationally and  (b) in West Lancashire.

Stephen Timms: Since the inception of new deal for disabled people in July 2001, 293,770 individuals have started it nationally and 550 people have started it in West Lancashire parliamentary constituency.
	 Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. The latest data is to February 2008.
	 Source:
	Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

New Deal Schemes

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the answer of 24 April 2007,  Official Report, columns 1095-6W, on New Deal schemes, if he will provide equivalent figures for  (a) the New Deal for Disabled People and  (b) each other New Deal programme for each month since August 2006.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 25 June 2008
	Since its launch in 1998 the New Deal has led a major transformation in employment support for people in Britain. Since its introduction New Deal has helped 1.97 million people into work. Benefit recipients participating in New Deal more than once are more likely to enter employment from their second spell on the programme than their first, and from their third spell than their second. Each period on New Deal moves participants closer to the labour market.
	Information on the number of current participants on New Deal 50 plus and New Deal for Disabled People is not currently available. These statistics have been suspended while a review of the method for compiling current participant figures is carried out.
	Current participant figures for New Deal for Lone Parents are available to March 2007. Figures for the period from April 2007 are not currently available as a result of the identification of a problem with the data which is used to compile the statistics. Figures for the period after April 2007 will be released as soon as possible.
	The available information is in the following tables.
	
		
			  New Deal Participants (individuals)( 1) 
			  Month  New Deal for Young People  New Deal 25 Plus  New Deal for Lone Parents( 2)  New Deal for Partners 
			 2006 
			 August 98,940 51,630 54,800 3,130 
			 September 94,350 52,090 54,910 3,180 
			 October 91,410 53,370 54,450 3,240 
			 November 89,410 54,780 53,970 3,290 
			 December 90,240 57,170 51,450 3,360 
			 2007 
			 January 93,070 58,340 54,360 3,430 
			 February 92,670 59,390 59,160 3,540 
			 March 93,580 59,860 61,960 3,670 
			 April 91,870 60,120 n/a 3,710 
			 May 90,500 60,520 n/a 3,740 
			 June 86,330 61,260 n/a 3,780 
			 July 87,100 61,880 n/a 3,850 
			 August 84,010 62,960 n/a 3,860 
			 September 77,650 63,250 n/a 3,910 
			 October 73,040 63,930 n/a 3,930 
			 November 69,290 64,810 n/a 3,990 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Latest data are to November 2007. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions. 
		
	
	
		
			  New Deal 
			   Number of participants who have participated more than once  Number of participants who have gained a job( 1) 
			 New Deal For Young people 369,990 806,490 
			 New Deal 25 Plus 224,610 323,330 
			 New Deal For Lone Parents 236,180(2) 554,300 
			 New Deal For Disabled People(3) 33,780 172,460 
			 New Deal 50 Plus(4) 2,860 83,100 
			 New Deal For Partners(5) 170 5,070 
			 (1) Latest information on number of individuals who have gained a job is up to November 2007. (2) Latest data are to February 2008, except for New Deal for Lone Parents number of participants to participate more than once where information is as of March 2007. (3) Information for New Deal for Disabled People on number of times a person participates and number of individuals who have gained a job is available from July 2001. (4) Information for New Deal 50 Plus on number of times a person participates is available from January 2004; number of individuals who have gained a job is available from April 2003. (5) Information for New Deal for Partners on number of times a person participates and number of individuals who have gained a job is available from April 2004.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  Information Directorate, Department for Work and Pensions.

Agriculture: Minimum Wage

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Gangmasters' Licensing Authority on enforcement of the minimum wage in the agricultural sector.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 17 September 2008
	DEFRA is responsible for enforcing the Agricultural Wages Order (AWO) in England and Wales. The AWO sets minimum wage rates and certain other minimum terms and conditions of employment which apply to workers in agriculture. Compliance with minimum wage legislation is one of the criteria which a labour provider must meet to be issued with a licence by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA). DEFRA Ministers have regular discussions with the GLA, but there have been no specific discussions about the enforcement of the Agricultural Wages Order.

Agriculture: Subsidies

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what occasions computer system failure has resulted in the inability of the Rural Payments Agency to  (a) access historical records and  (b) make payments in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 September 2008
	The IT systems used by RPA staff to access historic records and/or make payments have been available for use for 99.73 per cent. of the planned hours of service during the last 12 months. The short periods of system downtime amounted to an average of only one hour per month and none of these outages have affected the RPA payment schedules, nor access to historic records or other critical information.

Animals: Diseases

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many  (a) sheep and  (b) cattle were infected by coccidiosis in each of the last five years.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 10 September 2008
	Coccidiosis is not a notifiable disease hence reporting of coccidia diagnoses is voluntary. The levels of endemic diseases, such as coccidiosis, in the cattle and sheep population of Great Britain (GB) are monitored through the Veterinary Laboratories Agency's (VLA) Endemic Disease Surveillance Programme. This is performed by analysis of test results from clinical diagnostic samples submitted by veterinary surgeons to the VLA regional laboratories and to the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) disease surveillance centres for investigation. The figures shown in Table 1 correspond to the number of coccidiosis incidents recorded by the VLA's Veterinary Investigation Diagnosis Analysis (VIDA) database for the years 2003 to 2008. Incidents in this setting are defined as farm holdings reporting a case of coccidiosis, affecting one or more animals, either for the first time or after a four-week period from the last reported incident of coccidiosis diagnosed on that farm. Note therefore that holdings can be recorded as having cases more than once within the same year.
	
		
			  All incidents of coccidiosis in cattle in Great Britain recorded on VIDA. 2003 to August 2008 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 (January to August only) 
			 January 37 33 35 19 30 28 
			 February 21 19 20 30 21 31 
			 March 21 31 20 34 37 23 
			 April 22 38 26 26 28 41 
			 May 60 47 55 70 66 65 
			 June 70 80 47 76 52 68 
			 July 60 57 56 48 72 64 
			 August 47 41 52 59 49 51 
			 September 65 52 46 59 53 — 
			 October 68 46 46 47 65 — 
			 November 53 33 43 59 67 — 
			 December 27 36 28 27 33 — 
			 Total 551 513 474 554 573 371 
		
	
	
		
			  All incidents of coccidiosis in sheep in Great Britain recorded on VIDA. 2003 to August 2008 
			   2003  2004  2005  2006  2007  2008 (January to August only) 
			 January 7 7 8 9 6 3 
			 February 27 27 14 19 22 5 
			 March 50 67 27 43 26 20 
			 April 34 99 51 97 33 45 
			 May 62 67 64 127 38 51 
			 June 57 36 41 71 31 45 
			 July 17 18 18 14 27 17 
			 August 10 17 11 7 9 5 
			 September 5 5 8 2 3 — 
			 October 4 1 4 5 3 — 
			 November 3 1 3 3 1 — 
			 December 1 1 1 2 0 — 
			 Total 277 346 250 399 199 191 
			  Note: England and Wales data was last updated on 4 September 2008, Scotland (and therefore GB) data was last updated on 14 August 2008. 
		
	
	These figures show only the incidents diagnosed as a result of veterinarians submitting samples to these Government laboratories and therefore do not provide an unbiased or comprehensive estimate of the occurrence of the condition in GB. Many factors may influence the likelihood of a farmer/his veterinarian submitting a clinical sample for diagnosis: general economic situation within the sheep and cattle industry, awareness of the disease and its perceived importance, other concurrent priorities, the particular clinical presentation of the suspected disease etc.
	All these factors need to be taken into account when interpreting the figures. Changes over time of any of these factors will impact on the observed trends, so caution needs to be exercised when comparing annual figures. Furthermore, and within these limitations, figures in Table 1 only represent incidents where clinical disease was present and could be confirmed with the current testing procedures. The figures therefore are likely to represent a fraction of the total number of animals and farm holdings infected with coccidiosis in GB.

Departmental Alcoholic Drinks

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place in his Department to monitor expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes.

Jonathan R Shaw: Hospitality is intended to cover occasions where there is a need to provide hospitality for others. Hospitality may therefore be provided if it is in the public interest only and necessary for the conduct of departmental business to do so. As a general rule, expenditure on alcohol for hospitality purposes is not allowed. The core-Department's catering services provider does not hold a license to serve alcohol. Were alcohol to be purchased for hospitality purposes it should be acquired through formal purchase order, or through the Government Procurement Card, both of which methods are subject to formal authorisation procedures.

Departmental Overtime

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hours of overtime were worked by staff in each pay grade in his Department in each of the last 12 months.

Jonathan R Shaw: The following table shows the total number of hours overtime worked in each of the last 12 months, broken down by pay grade. The data covers staff in core-DEFRA and those agencies covered by core-DEFRA pay arrangements (i.e. Animal Health, Marine and Fisheries Agency, Veterinary Medicines Directorate, Government Decontamination Service and Pesticides Safety Directorate (who merged with the Health and Safety Executive on 1 April 2008).
	
		
			   AA  AO  EO  HEO  FS  SEO  VO  G7  G6 
			  2007  
			 September 3,340 6,676 12,019 6,701 185 1,609 6,304 1,430 1,377 
			 October 3,254 6,104 10,502 6,096 167 1,536 6,072 1,315 2,184 
			 November 2,923 5,306 15,175 6,658 35 689 7,339 1,167 1,349 
			 December 1,619 3,656 9,464 4,296 307 1,377 3,935 1,652 809 
			   
			  2008  
			 January 2,063 2,052 2,409 2,115 90 1,262 787 569 1,109 
			 February 1,432 1,937 3,184 2,375 115 739 1,107 596 249 
			 March 919 1,546 2,734 936 169 524 576 221 168 
			 April 655 1,989 2,848 1,758 75 819 799 792 418 
			 May 420 1,220 2,305 1,672 116 550 434 829 131 
			 June 436 1,307 2,072 1,584 38 300 672 386 186 
			 July 599 2,318 4,278 2,591 97 1,256 1,515 797 382 
			 August 594 1,065 2,319 1,439 71 616 719 1,599 222 
			  Grade equivalent: AA: Administration Assistant AO: Administration Officer EO: Executive Officer HEO: Higher Executive Officer FS: Fast Stream SEO: Senior Executive Officer VO: Veterinary Officer G7: Grade 7 G6: Grade 6 
		
	
	The higher levels of hours overtime worked apparent in the period of September 2007 to December 2007 correspond to pressures on the Department in relation to foot and mouth disease and avian influenza. This is especially pronounced in veterinary grades and those grades that would provide administrative and policy support in these areas.

Environment Protection: Offenders

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fixed penalty notices for environmental offences were issued in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) type of offence and  (b) issuing authority.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 15 September 2008
	Data on the number of fixed penalty notices issued for environmental offences by, or on behalf of, each local authority in England and Wales is available on the DEFRA website from the reporting year 1997-98 onwards.

Food

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to increase food production through  (a) agriculture,  (b) horticulture,  (c) allotments and  (d) residential gardens; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: holding answer 17 September 2008
	Promoting a strong domestic farming sector is central to Defra's work, which is why one of its departmental strategic objectives is "a thriving farming and food sector with an improving net environmental impact".
	Defra is spending half its research budget on supporting the farming and food sectors. £27.5 million is aimed at resource management in farming and food industries, including energy and water use, and on climate change mitigation and adaptation.
	The Government are working with food producers and processors to help prevent animal and plant disease, and is working with the farming industry to ensure there are enough workers with the right skills through the Skills for Farming project.
	The Prime Minister's Strategy Unit's recent study entitled "Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st century" published in July this year, identified a number of areas requiring further examination by the Government. Defra is taking forward the report's recommendation on the need for a sustainable vision to guide future food policy in conjunction with the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency.

Warm Front Scheme

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the  (a) effectiveness,  (b) value for money and  (c) compliance with open tender requirements of the establishment by EAGA of a co-venture with Ideal Boilers to undertake annual service visits on behalf of EAGA and the Warm Front 2 scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 September 2008
	As part of the open, audited and fully competitive tendering process for Warm Front, DEFRA ensured that the management of the scheme, including provision of aftercare services, provided value for money and complied with tender requirements.
	All aspects of management of the Scheme, including provision of aftercare services, is subject to regular audits by DEFRA's independent quality assessors to ensure it is providing an effective service.

Warm Front Scheme

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what procedures were followed by  (a) his Department,  (b) White Young Green and  (c) EAGA in (i) the suspension of J and L National Energy Saver Ltd from the Warm Front 2 scheme and (ii) the investigation and review of that suspension, with particular reference to consideration of representations from that company; what the reasons were for that suspension; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: holding answer 17 September 2008
	DEFRA has looked into the dispute between eaga plc and J and L heating, both in terms of the reasons for the action taken and the procedures followed by the scheme manager, eaga plc. This report has been provided to J and L National Energy Saver Ltd and is available from DEFRA upon request.
	DEFRA commissioned a further review, in light of additional information provided by the company. However, it was found that this information did not alter the conclusions of the original report.

Departmental ICT

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information technology projects initiated by her Department and its predecessors have been cancelled prior to completion in the last five years; and what the cost of each such project was to the public purse.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department for Transport does not hold centrally collected records on all IT projects carried out by the central department and its seven executive agencies. Available information shows that the following four IT projects were cancelled during the last five years.
	In general such projects are cancelled if it became clear that the costs of completing the project are not justified by the benefits to be obtained. For example, in relation to the DVLA Tracking vehicles through the trade project, IT developments in the vehicle trade presented a lower cost solution. This is now being explored by DVLA, informed by the specification that was developed during the original project.
	Highways Agency: CEO and Correspondence Unit Document Management System. Cost at cancellation: £227,574.
	DFT (central): Electronic Documents and Records Management System. Cost at cancellation: £853,899.
	DVLA: Tracking Vehicles Through the Trade. Cost at cancellation: £7,867,000.
	DVLA: Electronic Licensing for Fleets. Cost at cancellation: £270,000.

Army: Manpower

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) authorised establishment and  (b) number of vacancies of each (i) battalion and (ii) other definition of army unit is; and what the comparative figures were on the same date in each of the calendar years (i) 2005, (ii) 2006 and (iii) 2007.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 15 November 2008
	 The figures requested are shown as follows. The data is shown by cap badge since this information is not collated at battalion level.
	
		
			   Liability  Deficit (-)/Surplus(+) 
			  2008   
			 Staff—Senior Officers 747 83 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 5,674 -109 
			 Royal Artillery 7,424 -324 
			 Royal Engineers 9,567 -202 
			 Royal Signals 8,310 -345 
			 Infantry 23,304 -364 
			 Army Air Corps 2,096 -66 
			 Chaplains 160 -20 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 16,183 -988 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 3,254 -254 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 9,896 -410 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 6,625 -605 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 205 65 
			 Small Arms School Corps 144 6 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 495 -110 
			 Intelligence Corps 1,624 -124 
			 Army Physical Training Corps 432 23 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 1,158 -303 
			 Corps of Army Music 888 -68 
			 General Service Corps 0 10 
			 Long Service List 621 -36 
			 Not Known(1) 0 25 
			 Gurkha 2,993 577 
			
			  2007   
			 Staff (Senior Officers) 747 103 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 5,674 -189 
			 Royal Artillery 7,424 -389 
			 Royal Engineers 9,567 -572 
			 Royal Signals 8,310 -60 
			 Infantry 23,304 -229 
			 Army Air Corps 2,096 -51 
			 Chaplains 160 -15 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 16,183 -703 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 3,254 -304 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 9,896 -311 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 6,625 -305 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 205 20 
			 Small Arms School Corps 144 1 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 495 -135 
			 Intelligence Corps 1,624 -129 
			 Army Physical Training Corps 432 8 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 1,158 -318 
			 Corps of Army Music 888 -33 
			 General Service Corps 0 10 
			 Long Service List 621 -21 
			 Not Known — — 
			 Gurkha 2,993 347 
			
			  2006   
			 Staff (Senior Officers) 725 100 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 5,790 -315 
			 Royal Artillery 7,480 -195 
			 Royal Engineers 9,455 -685 
			 Royal Signals 8,440 25 
			 Infantry 24,620 -845 
			 Army Air Corps 2,010 10 
			 Chaplains 135 5 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 15,705 -75 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 3,271 -360 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 9,680 50 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 6,245 441 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 190  
			 Small Arms School Corps 145 10 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 420 -56 
			 Intelligence Corps 1,545 -70 
			 Army Physical Training Corps 420 40 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 1,075 -230 
			 Corps of Army Music 880 20 
			 General Service Corps — — 
			 Long Service List 485 120 
			 Not Known — — 
			 Gurkha 3,372 -63 
			
			  2005   
			 Staff (Senior Officers) 830 — 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 5,295 390 
			 Royal Artillery 7,580 -85 
			 Royal Engineers 10,020 -1,165 
			 Royal Signals 8,550 200 
			 Infantry 24,420 481 
			 Army Air Corps 2,160 -225 
			 Chaplains 160 -20 
			 Royal Logistic Corps 16,385 -790 
			 Royal Army Medical Corps 3,280 -495 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 9,575 185 
			 Adjutant General's Corps 6,870 170 
			 Royal Army Veterinary Corps 200 -10 
			 Small Arms School Corps 155 — 
			 Royal Army Dental Corps 441 -70 
			 Intelligence Corps 1,835 -410 
			 Army Physical Training Corps 446 -10 
			 Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps 1,100 -290 
			 Corps of Army Music 925 40 
			 General Service Corps — — 
			 Long Service List 485 130 
			 Not Known — — 
			 Gurkha 3,372 -62 
			 (1) The explanation for a 'Not Known' category appearing in 2008 is that a very few personnel have not yet been categorised by the Joint Personnel Administration system.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what percentage of staff in his Department have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days in each of the last three years.

Derek Twigg: The following table shows how many and what percentage of civilian MOD staff have had more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days for the 12 months ending 31 December 2005,2006, 2007 and 31 March 2008.
	Information prior to calendar year 2005 is compiled on a previous definition for monitoring sickness absence which is not consistent with figures for calendar year 2005 onwards.
	
		
			  The number and percentage of civilian personnel with more than two periods of sickness absence of less than five days  in each of the last three years. 
			   Non Industrial  (%)  Industrial  (%)  Total  (%) 
			 1 January to 31 December 2005 11,660 18.2 2,310 15.6 13,970 17.7 
			 1 January to 31 December 2006 10,840 17.9 2,330 16.4 13,170 17.6 
			 1 January to 31 December 2007 10,310 18.0 1,940 14.8 12,250 17.4 
			 1 April 2007 to 31 March 2008 10,050 17.8 1,880 14.7 11,920 17.2 
			  Notes: 1. Data excludes staff in Trading Funds, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and Locally Engaged Civilians for whom sickness absence data is not readily available. 2. Data presented reflects the current Cabinet Office definition, and excludes absence days that occurred on weekends, annual leave and bank holidays. 3. Totals have been rounded to the nearest 10, totals and sub totals have been rounded separately and so may not equal the sums of their rounded parts. 
		
	
	MOD is committed to reducing sickness absence. Employees included in the table may only have accumulated three working days absence so the figures may appear artificially high. MOD offers guidance and training to line managers on managing absence. It actively encourages the use of Return to Work Interviews and has trigger points in place for the commencement of formal management action.